


Reunion

by karathegoddess



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 - Fandom
Genre: Archangel - Freeform, Awkward Flirting, Chapter 1 Garrus POV, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, POV Garrus Vakarian
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:27:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26246401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karathegoddess/pseuds/karathegoddess
Summary: His late commander was the last person he was expecting to see while cornered by the three biggest merc companies in the Terminus System. Garrus had missed his friend, crush, and commander more than he could ever put to words.
Relationships: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian
Kudos: 14





	Reunion

“Archangel?” A familiar voice rang out. He had seen her. Or what he had thought to be her through the scope. But it couldn’t be. She was dead. He had heard her choke on the vacuum of space with his own ears. Scope must have been smudged, Garrus had thought. The voice that said his codename loud, firm, and clear. It sounded just like hers. Garrus lined his scope with a mercenary and fired, the shot slicing clean through the target. That voice. No. It couldn’t be that voice. Garrus used his gun as a cane to stand up as his legs felt more like noddles. He walked forwards and he saw her through his helmet. He hadn’t been imagining things. Her black curls were piled on her head in a slick military grade bun. She seemed okay, but the thick scars that engulfed half of her face didn’t look like they had faded much in two years, if at all. In fact, they looked fresh. Her icy gray eyes scanned him with caution as he took off his helmet. He had to sit down or he thought he might fall.  
“Shepard.” He managed. “I thought you were dead.” His voice wavered. The words had weight to them and it took Garrus a lot to hold back any more intense emotions. He knew he needed to save that for after they got the hell out of this situation. But he could still hear Shepard’s painful desperate gasps in the comm. He could still taste the mixture of alcohol and salty tears. He could still recall the long weeks after the funeral when Wrex, himself, and Joker drank until they were numb. The two painful years of mourning and regret. Two excruciating years of just missing her presence beside him in a gunfight or her honey laughter, thick and sweet, echoing in the halls of the Normandy. The ship he’d go as far as to call home.  
And yet here she was. Standing in front of him. Shepard smiled wide and Garrus’ chest ached. God, he had missed that smile.  
“Garrus! What are you doing here!” Excitement in her voice at the sight of him couldn’t be contained. Without any need for communication the two walked right up and hugged, Garrus held tight recalling the choking sounds he’d heard over the comms while she was spaced.  
“Just keeping my skills sharp. A little target practice.” He joked, just like they used to, both of them still entwined. Shepard finally released and looked up at him.  
“You okay?” Shepard’s tone softened and genuine concern coated the two simple words.  
“Been better, but it sure is good to see a friendly face.”  
“What’s left of mine anyways.” She snorted, running her fingers down the jagged scars on her cheek. He shook his head. Leave it to Shepard to make cracks about coming back from the dead. Though it was a joke, Garrus thought she might actually be a little self conscious about them. He’d have to talk to her about it later.  
“Still looks nice enough to me. Anyways, killing mercs is hard work. Especially on my own.” Garrus said. Shepard curled part of her mouth into smirk.  
“How’d you manage to piss off every major merc organization in the Terminus Systems?”  
“It wasn’t easy. I really had to work at it. I am amazed they teamed up to fight me. They must really hate me.” Shepard giggled and Garrus melted.  
He never thought he’d hear the sound of her laugh again. Garrus knew he liked her. Once she went so far out of her way to track down Saleon, she had earned Garrus’ undying respect. And then of course saving the whole damn galaxy. The more he had watched his Commander, the more he’d been enchanted. But with Liara and Kaidan head to head vying for Shepard’s affections, he didn’t think it was right. Especially since one night on the Normandy while they shared a drink, Shepard revealed how frustrating Liara and Kaidan were in the position they were cornering her in. Garrus didn’t want to add to that frustration. Shepard had enough going on as is.  
“Archangel. Pretty badass. I like it.” Shepard teased.  
“It’s just a game the locals gave me. For all my good deeds.” Garrus chuckled. “I don’t mind it, but please...it’s just ‘Garrus’ to you.” He cleared his throat uncomfortably. Shepard smiled at Garrus fondly, revelling in his fluster. He wished for the soft expression to last longer, but gunfire snapped Shepard back into reality.  
“How’d you let yourself get into this position?” She asked. It occurred to Garrus that she knew. Telepathy seemed to be one of the many superpowers Shepard possessed. Garrus had been planning full well to pick off as many mercs as he could. And when he couldn’t, he would blow the whole damn base of the map, himself, mercs, and all. Just the glimpse of Shepard through his scope had made him falter in his plan. Now that she was here, he knew he wouldn’t need to go through with it. That was how powerful she was.  
“I let personal feelings get in the way of my better judgement. Tell you what, get me out this alive and I’ll tell you the whole story.” Garrus offered. “I’ll stay up here. I can do a lot of damage from this vantage point. And you, do what you do best.”  
“Full story, start to finish. The whole two years. It’s a deal, Garrus. And no take backsies.” She added with a wink before heading into position.  
“Just like old times, Shepard.” Garrus smiled after her.  
The wave was over quickly and Eclipse was dead in the water, Shepard returned. Her armour was now slick with purple crimson and it splattered her face, but she wasn’t hurt and showed no sign of fatigue.  
“You’re kicking ass, Shepard. They never even touched me.”  
“You're my vigilante. I’m not letting anyone else lay a hand on you.” She smiled, up at him. The blunt words caught Garrus off guard causing him to temporarily forget how his mouth functioned. Shepard enjoyed his fluster for a few moments before finally moving on. She shook her head. “Well, at least Eclipse is done with.”  
“Yeah, and we got Jaroth in the process. Been hunting that little bastard for months.” Garrus felt the rage bubble up inside his chest, like water left to boil for too long. He was dead now. Shepard had killed him. The anger subsided some.  
“We still have Blood Pact and Blue Suns left. Think we can make a break for it?”  
“Maybe, let’s see what they’re-” The enormous sound rumbled through the bridge and shook the building like an excited child playing with a snowglobe.  
“What the hell was that!” Miranda demanded. Garrus, thought he should feel panicked. If he was still by himself, he was sure he would. But somehow he didn’t. Not with Shepherd's gray eyes staring back at him. Mimicking Shepard’s neutrality to the situation, he used his omni tool to access the damage.  
“Damn it.” He cursed, just because he wasn’t scared didn’t mean this wasn’t a major set back. “They breached the lower level. Well they had to use their brains eventually.”  
“Let’s split up, two and two - keep one of my team here.”  
“Are you sure, Shepard? Who knows what you’ll find down there,” Garrus bit his tongue, the concern etched in the words was impossible to cloak, but nobody seemed to mention it. Shepard turned to one of her men next to her.  
“Zaeed, stay with Garrus. Keep him alive.” The last three words were terse and firm. Garrus couldn’t help, but notice how it sounded like a direct order.  
“Roger that.” His gruff voice responded. Garrus didn’t like leaving Shepard with only one person for protection, but he knew better than to waste his breath and time on trying to convince her otherwise. Certainly, not when she used that tone.  
“Thanks, Shepard. You better get going.” The next wave was a little harder and heavier, but nothing the four couldn’t handle. As Shepard and Miranda reconviend with the boys, Garrus couldn’t help, but shoot her a cocky smile. “We took out Garm and his Blood Pact. This day just gets better and better.” As if a day with you in it couldn’t be the best thing the day had to offer. Her cheeks tinged pink and her laughter rang like beautiful bells in his ears. He hadn’t made a joke, why was she- Garrus realized in shock and horror that he had said the last part out loud. Thankfully, she changed the subject quickly.  
“Only Blue Suns are left. I say we take our chances and fight our way out.”  
“I think you’re right-”  
“I’m always right.” Garrus chuckled.  
“Tarak has the toughest group, but nothing we haven’t handled-” Before Garrus could finish, a giant ship hovered next to the window. Shepard and her team split off, leaving Garrus to defend himself. There wasn’t much for him until he heard Tarak’s low voice crackle through a ship's comm.  
“Archangel!!!” He thundered. The bullets that engulfed Garrus were impossible to deflect. He was only narrowly able to throw himself behind cover. “You think you can screw with the Blue Suns?!?! This ends now!” Tarak bellowed. An explosive sent Garrus hurdling across the room in a blur of pain. His heart broke at the familiar honey voice, desperately shouting his name. Gunfire reverberated against his pounding skull. Then everything was quiet and he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and tried to breath, but it took considerable effort.  
“Garrus!” Shepard cried out again, cupping his cheek in her hand in a vain attempt to prevent the inky blue liquid from seeping between her fingers. Garrus though if the side of his face didn’t sting so much, he might enjoy the feeling of Shepard’s hand. “We’re getting you out of here, Garrus. Just hold on, okay! Stay with me!” She begged. He saw a tear slide down her cheek and he wanted to wipe it away, but his arms were just too heavy. Zaeed quickly scanned his omni tool as Shepard wiped her sleeve across her face, streaking it with Garrus’ blue blood. “Damn it, Garrus, just because I was bitching about my scars doesn’t mean you had to get some matching ones.” She breathed a laugh through her sniffles. Garrus smiled and attempted to respond, but it only came out as a wet gurgle. “Radio Joker, make sure they’re ready for us. I want Chakwas on stand by! Don’t you dare close your eyes, Vakarian. That’s an order!” Zaeed frowned at the orange screen.  
“Commander, he’s not going to make it.”


End file.
